Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Last Lesson ...Summary, Questions & Answers (Class XII Flemingo)

Lesson 1

The Last Lesson

Summary

Franz didn’t want to go to school that day as
his French teacher Mr. Hamel had announced that he would take a test on French Participles
and Franz was not prepared for it. Franz was afraid of M Hamel’s ruler and being
scolded. Although Franz was more interested in spending day out of school
but eventually he decided to go to the school. On the way he passed through the
Town Hall where he noticed a huge crowd was there around the notice board.
Franz didn’t stop there as he was well aware that this board had always been
serving bad news about the war. Blacksmith told him no need to hurry for school
but Franz thought he was making fun of him.

On Reaching School he was surprised to see
the sea change in daily environment. There
was no noise as usual, no lesson chanting sound by students. It seemed as a
Sunday morning. All students were already in their class room. M Hamel was
walking with his iron ruler under his arm. Franz was frightened to enter
in class as he thought that he would be scolded badly as he was very late but
to his surprise, M Hamel did not say anything to him, rather welcomed him politely
“Go to your place quickly little Franz, we were beginning without you”.
After sitting on his seat Franz noticed that teacher was wearing his
beautiful green coat, frilled shirt with a little black silk cap having
embroidery on it, this type of dress usually he wore on functions or prize
ceremonies only. Franz also noticed that the other villager including old
Hauser, former Mayor and former post master were also presented in class they
were in last benches. He couldn’t understand until M Hamel announced the notice
which was served from Berlin that now onwards no French would be taught in
schools of Alsace and Lorraine, only German would be taught in the schools of
these two French cities and he emotionally requested students to be more attentive
for their last French lesson. Franz now realized that what was there on
notice board in Town Hall.

These words of notice fell on Franz like a
thunder clap. He couldn’t believe it would be his last lesson that day. He was
badly repenting that why he didn’t learn, never paid attention to his lessons. He
hardly knew how to read and write French. He was repenting that instead of
studying he would go for other pleasant activities.His book that seemed always burden to him now
to same appeared to him like old friends. Even his thoughts for his teacher M.
Hamel changed thinking as realized that he would never see him again as it was
his last day in the school. He forgot
about his cranky nature and his cruel ruler. Now he could that the teacher had
wore this dress in honor of his last lesson. He also understood why older
people were presented in class as they were repenting why they never worry to
go to school and they were there to show their respect to their teacher, who
served them for forty years.

When Franz’s name was called to recite the
lesson, he made mistake and could even speak few words just opposite to his
thinking teacher did not scold him rather he preached him that one should not
waste his precious time just by live in impression that there is plenty of time
and postponing the important things for next day. How would they feel when
someone will make fun of them that they were not able to speak or write the
French despite of being Frenchmen? Teacher did not put all blame on him but he
also blamed the parents who never bothered to send their children to school to
study instead they put their children to work on farms and in mill to earn
extra money. Even he blamed himself that he often would send his pupils to
water his plants instead of study at school and he would declare a holiday
whenever he wanted to go to fishing.

Teacher further said about the French
language that it was the most beautiful, clearest and most logical language of
the world. People should stick with their language it will be proven as the key
to their prison in case they are enslaved. A magic had happened
that day in class the students understood everything very well, because they
were more attentive and teacher was more patient and polite on that day.

Finally with very heavy heart, M Hamel stood
up, he was very sad as he walked to the black board, took a chalk and wrote on
it “Vive La France” which means “Long Live France” and declared the class was
dismissed.

Important Question and Answers

Short Questions

Q1: Why Franz was afraid of going to school
that day?

A: The teacher M. Hamel had asked students to prepare for a test on
Participles and Franz even didn’t even know a single word of it so he was not
feeling like to go to school that day. Also Franz was afraid of M Hamel’s cruel
iron rule, which he usually kept under his arm and he was famous as very strict
teacher.

Q2: What unusual changes did Franz notice in
school that day?

A: As Franz entered in school he noticed the unusual silence as if it
was a Sunday morning. No noise of lesson chanting, no noise of opening and
closing of desk drawers. All students were already in class. Teacher was
wearing the special fancy dress which he would usually wear only on special occasions
like prize ceremonies etc.

Q3: What was the notice from Berlin and how
did it affect class?

A: The notice, which was served from Berlin, was that no French
language would be taught in schools of Alsace and Lorraine cities only German would
be taught instead. So M. Hamel, the French teacher was asked to vacate the
place for a new German teacher. The notice affected everyone badly. Everybody
was repenting on wasting the time and not learnt the French.

Q4: Describe the impact of notice on Franz,
M. Hamel and senior villagers?

A: The
notice affected everybody deeply. Franz thought why he wasted his time on
leisure activities instead of learning his own language. The books which would
seem him as a burden now those books seemed to be old friends to him. H. Hamel
was feeling guilty for sending his students for his personal tasks. Villagers were feeling guilty that why they
did not send their children to study instead of sending them on the farm for
earning money.

Q5: Why did the feelings for M. Hamel were
changed in Franz’s mind?

A:The impact of
notice and fact that the teacher would be going away forever and he will never
be able to see him again in class made Franz’s feeling soften for him. Earlier
Franz would feel fear from his teacher because of his cranky nature and his
iron ruler but now all those feelings were totally vanished up for him.

Q6: Why older villagers were presented in the
class that day?

A: The older villagers were presented in class as they
were feeling sorry for not sending their children to study in school instead
they sent them to the farms and mills to earn extra money. One more reason for
their presence was that they wanted to pay their respect to the teacher who
served them for forty years.

Q7: How did Mr. M Hamel describe the
French language?

A:
M. Hamel described French language as world’s most beautiful, clearest and
logical language. He also told that the love with one’s own language can be
proven as the key to the prison for the people who live in enslaved country.

Q8: Write a brief character sketch of M.
Hamel?

A: M. Hamel was taken as a strict teacher. Students were afraid of his iron ruler. He was
very sincere and dedicated teacher who served for forty long years in his
service as a teacher to the village in Alsace City. When he got the notice to
vacant his place to make the space for new German teacher. He was totally
broken. He remained sad during his final class. This changed his behavior; he
behaved rather very politely and patiently. When Franz was not able to
say his lesson correctly instead of scolding him he just made him understand
about the relevancy of learning the mother tongue. He preached everyone
presented in the class about that important things should never been postponed.
Time flies very fast.

I was about to read this summary .... But as soon as I read the blogger's introduction which he started as " Hi Myself P.K. Rohira..... " I got an idea of the standard of this "self-renowned experienced english home tutor " :3 -_-

One question in my assignment goes like - Who is the narrator? What was he afraid of? What did he resolve? I can answer the first 2 parts but the last one, I am unable to frame that. Anybody can help? Please!